Parlor game.



Patented lune I9, |900. H. J. TAlT.

PARLOR GAME.

med Mm'. 17, 1900.)

(Application 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No Model.)

f NVE/V701? IIJ Taz?,

ffolflfeyd/ No. 652,056. Patented Iune I9, i900.

H. J. TAIT. 4

PARLOR GAME.

(Application led Mar. 17, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Shed 2` jNl/EN TOR UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY JAMES TAIT, OF MUSSELBURGH, SCOTLAND.

PARLOR GAM E..

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 652,056, dated June 19, 1900. 4

Application tiled March 17, 1900. Serial No. 9,105. (No model.)

T0 all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY J AMES TATT, a subject of the Queen of Great rltain, residing at Musselburgh, county of Mid-Lothian, Scotland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Parlor Games; and I hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

This invention is an improvement in parlor games; and it consists in an apparatus for playing a close imitation of the game commonly known as bowls In practice a parlor, dining-room, or simi` lar table can be used, taking the place of the outdoor bowling-green. The tee or jack, as it is called, is placed at one end of the ta ble, and the player is provided with a light bowl-starting board, one end of which rests on the table, while the other end is held in the hand, and at this end of the board is a receptacle for the bowl When the bowl is placed in position, the player elevates the starting-board, (at the grip end only,) so as to direct the bowl by gravity onto the table in the direction desired. The starting-board is provided with a bowl-retainer, by which `the bowl' is held until the player is ready to release it, whereupon the bowl travels down the board and along the table at a speed and a distance corresponding with the extent to which the starting-board has been elevated.

The bowls, which may be made of wood or other suitable material, have a bias side the same as the ordinary outdoor bowl, which side is marked to enable the player to readily see it. The bowls are marked in some distinctive manner, as by different colors, to enable the players to readily distinguish their opponents bowls from their own.

When the player wishes to play along the 'right-hand side of the table toward the jack or tee, he places the bowl in receptacle, with bias side to his left, and points the startingboard toward right-hand side of table. The bowl duringits course gradually leaves the side of table toward which it h as been directed and finds its way toward the jack, which is placed approximately equidistant from each side of table and at a convenient distance from the end of table. When a player wants to play along the left-hand side of table, the bowl and starting-board are arranged vice Versa.

The starting-board, besides being necessary for. propelling the bowl, adds, as it were, to the length of the table, giving a longer range from the jack than the table would provide of itself.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of the complete apparatus, showing the mode of using the starting-board. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the table. Fig. 3 is an enlarged perspective View of the starting-board. Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view showing the manner of attaching the parts to a table. Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the box or ditch as applied to a table. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the apparatus closed. Fig. 7 is a detail sectional view of part of the startingboard.

Referring to the drawings, the startingboard A is shaped like an isosceles triangle, tapering aboutan inch :for every four or ve inches of length of board. A convenient length for the starting-board is four feet. It has a hand-grip B at its smaller end, and the upper part of the starting-board-to wit, the hand-grip-the part under the bowl-detainer, and the two sides running toward the table may be of wood or other suitable material, and the lower part C of the board may be of thin sheet-zinc or other suitable material. The'thinness of the Zinc allows the bowl to leave the starting-board and enter onto the table without any perceptible bump, which would take place if the board should be thick.

The bowl-detainer D, attached to the starting-board, is from five to six inches long, and in its upper side is a rounded groove CZ of a width suited to the size of bowl. 'Ihe end D of the detainer next to the hand is. curved upwardly to prevent the bowl from running back toward the hand and is suitably shaped to enable the fingers or thumb to push it gently forward when the bowl is to be delivered. The detainer is pivoted tothe starting-board at the base of part D', and a suit- IOO able spring E is employed to hold the retainer in position. When in its normal backward position, the end D' of the detainer points at a slight angle toward the player, while the grooved part points at a slight angle upward away from the player. The bowl is then laid in the shallow groove of the detainer and remains in place until the detainer is tripped, whereupon the bowl runs along the groove onto the starting-board. In order to prevent the bowl from gettinga drop in passing from the detainer onto the starting-board, recess a is made in the starting-board to allow the discharge end of the detainer to get down to the plane of the starting-board.

For the jack F a boys marble may be used of about the same size and weight in relation to the small bowls as the bowling-green jack is to the bowls in the outdoor game.

At the jack end of table is a narrow box or trough, which may be either fixed to the table or supported by legs resting on the iioor.

A detachable apparatus for an ordinary table may be made in the following manner: A box G is provided with a roll of cloth H of about the same width as the length of the box, one end of this cloth being fastened to the inside of the box. The box G is held against the end of the table, while the cloth H is unrolled along and over the table-top toward the other end of the table, Where it is drawn tight and fastened to the table by any suitable means. The outer side or back of box is higher or broader than the inner side, and when the box is held up to the position in which it is to be finally fixed it will be higher than theI top of table.- In the (high) back g of the box are cut two holes or slots g', one at or near each end of box, through which pass flat pieces or strips I, which may be from two to three feet long and run parallel with and near the sides of table, lying on top thereof and along the margin of each side of cloth. Each strip I passes through a loop h, of tape or other suitable material, attached to the cloth H. The box is thus properly supported, as shown. fastened down to the table, so as to stretch the cloth tautly thereon in any suitable manner, as by means of tapes h', carried underneath the table and fastened together: rlhe back of box being higher than the top of vtable prevents the bowls from rolling beyond the box and onto the iioor, aud the strips I along the margin of cloth prevent a badlyplayed bowl from rolling off at the sides at the jack end of table. The strips I may be provided with holes and pegs for scoring the game, similar to a Cribbage-board. The box G takes the place of what is called the ditch in the outdoor game of bowls, and the cloth H, besides being the means of fastening or assisting in fastening the ditch, takes the place of the turf or green A bowl played with too much strength falls into the ditch and is considered off the green, as in the outdoor game. Narrow strips j of suit- The side edges of cloth H maybe able material are fixed on each end of the box or ditch inside and about an inch below the top. These form a support for a false bottom K, which fits into the box. The false bottom being about half an inch thick gives a ditch about half an inch deep. The space between the real and false bottoms of box G can be utilized for storing away the cloth,with other appliances, inside the box. On the upper side of this false bottom, at each end, is fixed a narrow strip K, about half an inch thick. When the false bottom is taken out, (after the game is over,) it is inverted and then used as a lid for the box. The pieces k being then on the under side and contacting the strips j inside the box (at each end) allow the lid to enter the box only until its top side is flush with inner side and ends of box. The lid may be secured while being moved with the box and its contents by any suitable fastenings.

When the game is finished, the two strips I', acting as supports for the back of box, are withdrawn and the cloth unfastened from the table, and the box is then placed on the table, its false bottom taken out, andthe cloth is rolled up and placed in the box with other parts of the game apparatus.

Having thus described my invention, what I therefore claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a parlor bowlgame apparatus, the combination of a table and a box or receptacle forming a ditch below the level of the surface of the table at one end thereof; with a starting-board adapted to be held partly by the table and partly by the hand and to direct the bowls onto the table, for the purpose and substantially as described.

2. The combination of a table, a box arranged transversely thereof at one end and forming a ditch7 below the level of the surface of the table, and a tapered or wedgeshaped starting-board adapted to be grasped by the hand at the smaller end, for the purpose and substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

3. The combination of a table provided with a box or ditch at one end; with a starting-board adapted to be grasped by the hand at one end while its other end rests upon the table and provided with a bowl-detaining de- Vice near the hand end, for the purpose and substantially as described. p

4. The combination of a table, a box secured to one end and below the level of the table, and a cover detachably secured to the table; with a starting-board for the bowls constructed substantially as and for the purpose described.

` 5. The herein-described starting-board for parlor game apparatus consisting of a tapered or wedge-shaped board provided with side flanges and having a wide lower end adapted to rest upon the table and a handhold at the smaller end, for the purpose and substantially as described.

shaped starting board provided with side flanges and having a wide lower end adapted to rest upon the table and a handhold at the smaller end; with a bowl-detainer thereon near the handhold, for the purpose and substantially as described.

7. The combination of a table, the box detachably secured to one end thereof and below its surface, and the flexible cover or iield attached to said box and adapted to be detachably secured to the table.

8. The combination of the table, a detachable box or ditch provided with a false bottom, and detachable strips for supporting said box on said table and below the surface thereof.

9. The combination of the table and the box or ditch attached to one end of the table below the surface thereof and provided with a false bottom; with a flexible cover or field having one end attached to said box and adapted to be spread over and detachably secured to said table.

10. The combination of the table, the detachable box or ditch attached to one end of the table below the surface thereof and providedwith a false bottom, and the detachable strips for supporting said box on said table; with a iiexible cover or field having one end attached to said box and adapted to be spread over and detachably secured to saidV table.

1l. The combination of the table, the detachable box,the ditch provided with a false bottom and the detachable strips for supporting said box on said table; with a flexible cover or field having one end attached to said box and adapted to be spread over and detachably secured to said table,and the tapered or wedge-shaped starting-board having a handhold and a bowldetaining device at its smaller end, for the purpose and substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses. 4

HENRY JAMES TAIT.

Witnesses:

JOHN MCLAREN, GEO. S. MCCRINDLE 

